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Judge dismayed by Flint's failure to follow water order

Flint's decision to join the Karegnondi Water system, displacing Detroit's water system in the region, led to the decision to temporarily use Flint River water as a drinking source.(Photo: Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press)

Flint council members were elected to "govern by acting in the interest of the common good," the judge said. "That has not happened over the past year and now time, which is of the essence, is in short supply."

Flint is recovering from a lead contamination crisis caused by improper water treatment when it was using the Flint River during an 18-month period in 2014 and 2015. The state of Michigan sued Flint earlier this year, seeking to force the city to sign a 30-year deal with Great Lakes Water, which stepped in after the lead disaster was declared.
Mayor Karen Weaver agrees with the state, but the council hasn't acted. Her administration warns that Flint could end up in bankruptcy. Lawson said that "may be accurate."

The 30-year deal would have relieved the city of bond debt to a different water agency and supplied residents with "safe water at predictable rates," he said.

A lawyer representing the council didn't immediately return an email seeking comment.
Lawson invited the state to file a request to enforce his previous order.